Lashed out at police after being stopped

Veronica Stewart assaulted a police officer after being pulled her over in the early hours of the morning and given a breath test.

At Falkirk Sheriff Court last Thursday the 23-year-old was warned she was lucky not to be going to jail for her shock behaviour.

Stewart lashed out and shouted and swore and threatened violence after being stopped on Jarvie Road, Redding, on June 3.

After she was taken to Falkirk Police Station she repeatedly failed to co-operate with the breath test procedure claiming she had problems with asthma.

Earlier that morning police had been called to an “on-going” incident at a house in Slamannan and when they arrived told by neighbours Stewart had left the scene in a car.

Soon after that they traced her to Jarvie Road. Her speech was significantly slurred and she became abusive.

In court on August 21 Stewart, from 4 Inchkeith Place, Hallglen, had admitted assault, threatening behaviour and failing to provide two specimens of breath for analysis and had sentence deferred for social workers to complete background reports.

Last Thursday Sheriff Derek Livingston said he was “not impressed” with what she had told them and noted the report suggested she would be unwilling to co-operate with a community-based sentence.

Stewart’s lawyer claimed: “I have spoken to her about that and she is more than happy to do that and unpaid work.”

He said Stewart, who is pregnant with twins, was “embarrassed” by her actions.

He added: “She is not a drinker. She knows full well what is open to the court to do and might want to reflect how lucky she is if she is allowed to walk out of this court today.”

As a direct alternative to custody Sheriff Livingston opted to impose a community order which will include completing 200 hour of unpaid work in nine months.

She will also be tagged and expected to remain in her home between 9pm and 7am daily for the next four months and banned from driving for the next two years.

He told her: “With some considerable hesitation I’m not going to send you to prison, but you came very close and if you re-offend that’s where you will go.”